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Dutch Design Week 2024: Navigating blurred realities

Fix Your Phone Shop by Waag Futurelab, The Netherlands

Poetics of Prompting at MU Hybrid Art House. Photography by Boudewijn Bollmann, The Netherlands

Mapping the Oblivion by Julia Janssen for Embassy of Digital Futures, The Netherlands

The Netherlands – The theme for the 2024 edition of Dutch Design Week is ‘Real Unreal’, which delves into the complexities of navigating blurred realities in the face of rapidly advancing technology. This is a topic LS:N Global recently explored in our latest macrotrend, The Synthocene Era.

At MU Hybrid Art House, the Poetics of Prompting exhibition examined how we communicate with machines using large language models such as ChatGPT and Midjourney. Artists were invited to question how we might interact with machines in more unpredictable and human-like ways, such as using speech instead of text-based prompts. The exhibition highlighted the positive potential of artificial intelligence. Multi-disciplinary artist Ren Loren Britton explored how the standardisation of spelling and language articulation in English limits the ‘magic’ that can be produced by people with dyslexia. Britton hopes new algorithms might make alternative forms of articulation acceptable, overcoming the restrictions of tools like spellcheck.

But not all exhibitors adopted such an optimistic view of AI’s future, with some raising concerns about data privacy and the nature of humanity. The Embassy of Digital Futures emphasised the limitations of these technologies, while Julia Janssen’s Mapping the Oblivion explored how the increasing use of algorithms in daily life creates a frictionless existence, thereby stifling originality. Similarly, Fix Your Phone Shop by Waag Futurelab highlighted the impact of smartphones on privacy, mental health and the environment. LS:N Global recently discussed these issues in Teens, Tech and Tapping Out.

Stay tuned for more daily coverage of Dutch Design Week 2024.

Strategic opportunity

Consider making your AI tools more human-like by allowing consumers to interact with them using voice prompts or emotional cues, creating more personalised and engaging experiences

Crocs unveils limited-edition clogs for dogs

Pet Crocs! Designed in partnership with Bark by Crocs

Global – On 23 October, Crocs is launching its first-ever clogs for dogs, fulfilling one of the brand’s most-requested items. Priced at £39 ($50, €46) the pet-sized booties resemble Crocs’ signature Classic Clog, available in three sizes and two glow-in-the-dark, marbled colourways. They slip onto your dog's paws and fasten with an ankle strap. Could Croc-clad pups be the next big thing in furry fashion?

For a limited time, Crocs will also release matching human-sized clogs, allowing owners and pets to twin in style. This fur-friendly launch is part of Croctober, Crocs’ month-long celebration of fan-favourite and novelty releases.

‘As the wider fashion industry embraces pets, Crocs is stepping into the trend with a fun and functional take on dog footwear,’ the brand noted. Pet footwear is clearly having its moment. Luxury labels like Gucci, Prada and Thom Browne have already expanded into petwear, and Crocs is now bringing this trend to the mainstream, a trend we identified in 2022 in our Prestige Pets microtrend report.

LS:N Global recently analysed how brands can capitalise on the DINKWAD (double-income, no-kids, with-a-dog) Economy in our Innovation Debrief 2024–2025.

Strategic opportunity

Develop product lines that cater for pets, aligning with the rising demand for pet accessories. Beyond clothing, think about pet-friendly tech, furniture or care products that appeal to style-conscious pet parents

UK government appoints menopause employment ambassador

Centre for Ageing Better, UK

UK – Renowned journalist and women’s equality campaigner Mariella Frostrup has been named the UK government’s new menopause employment ambassador. In this voluntary role, Frostrup will collaborate with employers nationwide to improve support for women experiencing menopause in the workplace, while raising awareness of its symptoms and championing women’s economic contributions.

Frostrup’s key focus will be on helping women aged 40 to 60 – nearly 70% of whom report negative work impacts due to menopause symptoms – remain in employment and advance their careers. With more than 50% of women in this group unable to work at times because of these symptoms, her appointment is timely and crucial.

Frostrup, a long-standing advocate of gender equality, said she was honoured and delighted by the role. Her appointment aligns with the UK government’s broader efforts to create equitable Work States Futures, including proposed Employment Rights Bill reforms that would require large employers to implement menopause action plans, ensuring better support for affected employees. This move signals a significant step towards gender-inclusive workplace policies in the UK.

Strategic opportunity

Businesses should implement targeted support systems for menopausal employees, promoting retention, productivity and fostering inclusive work cultures

Stat: Holiday spending to hit record highs in the US despite mounting debt

Photography by CottonBro, Russia

US – Americans are gearing up for a significant boost in holiday spending, with NerdWallet’s 2024 Holiday Shopping and Travel Report projecting a £13.1bn ($17bn, €15.7bn) increase in gift purchases and £35.4bn ($46bn, €42.5bn) more in travel expenses compared to 2023.

A survey of more than 2,000 US adults, commissioned by NerdWallet and conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that US consumers plan to spend an average of £713 ($925, €854) on gifts, totalling more than £155bn ($201bn, €185bn).

Despite this rise in spending, 28% of last year’s holiday travellers and gift buyers still haven’t cleared their 2023 credit card balances. More than half (55%) of consumers also report feeling financially strained by seasonal expenses, with some even dipping into emergency savings.

NerdWallet’s survey highlights the growing tension between seasonal spending and financial responsibility for consumers, as they struggle to navigate rising living expenses amid the cost of living crisis.

Strategic opportunity

Acknowledge that the holiday season can be expensive and stressful by launching discounted gifting bundles or affordable gift guides that ease the financial burden while building customer loyalty